Speaker Spotlight: Demis Hassabis – Co-Founder & CEO of Google DeepMind

Sir Demis Hassabis CBE FRS FREng FRSA is a British artificial intelligence researcher and entrepreneur, renowned as the Co-Founder and CEO of Google DeepMind. Educated in neuroscience and computer science, Demis has led groundbreaking developments in AI, including AlphaGo and AlphaFold. His work continues to shape the future of technology and scientific discovery, and he is frequently sought to share his expertise, speaking on the future of artificial intelligence.

Demis Hassabis’ Key Career Achievements:

• 2024 – Knighted for Services to Artificial Intelligence
• 2023 – Ordinary Member of Pontifical Academy of Sciences
• 2023 – Member of the Academia Europaea
• 2022 – Advisor to the Advanced Research & Invention Agency
• 2021 – International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences
• 2021 – Founder & CEO of Isomorphic Labs
• 2018 – Advisor to the UK Government’s Office for Artificial Intelligence
• 2018 – Elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society
• 2017 – Appointed CBE for Services to Science & Technology
• 2017 – Elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering
• 2014 – DeepMind was purchased by Google
• 2010 – Co-Founder & CEO of DeepMind
• 2009 – Research Fellow at the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL
• 2009 – Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
• 1998 – Founder of Elixir Studios

Demis Hassabis’ Biography:

Demis Hassabis is a world-renowned artificial intelligence researcher, entrepreneur, and speaker who explores how science and technology can help humanity solve its biggest challenges. Educated at the University of Cambridge with a BA in Computer Science, he began his career in gaming, spending a gap year at Bullfrog Productions, where he co-designed and led programming on the hit simulation game Theme Park. After graduating, he joined Lionhead Studios, where he was the lead AI programmer on the acclaimed 2001 title Black & White, celebrated for its groundbreaking artificial intelligence.

In 1998, Demis founded Elixir Studios, serving as executive designer on the BAFTA-nominated strategy games Republic: The Revolution and Evil Genius. His growing fascination with human cognition and learning inspired him to pursue a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London, where he studied imagination, memory, and amnesia. His research, published in leading journals including Nature, Science, and Neuron, speaks on neuroscience and artificial intelligence, aiming to understand how the human brain could inform new computational models of learning.

Demis later held a Henry Wellcome postdoctoral fellowship at UCL’s Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit and worked as a visiting scientist at MIT and Harvard University. In 2010, he co-founded DeepMind with Shane Legg and Mustafa Suleyman. The company’s mission—to understand intelligence and use it to advance society—has led to some of the most significant breakthroughs in AI, including AlphaGo, the first program to defeat Go world champion Lee Sedol, and AlphaFold, which accurately predicts protein structures and revolutionises biomedical science. In 2024, Demis was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on AlphaFold – see him speak at The Nobel Prize ceremony, below.

Now owned by Google, DeepMind has also partnered with the NHS and Moorfields Eye Hospital to improve medical diagnostics. In 2021, Demis founded Isomorphic Labs to apply AI to drug discovery. As a keynote speaker, he shares insights on innovation, ethics, and the future of intelligence, inspiring audiences at global technology and science events with his insightful keynote speeches. He advised the UK Government’s Office for Artificial Intelligence and the Advanced Research & Invention Agency and is a Fellow of both the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 2024, Demis Hassabis was knighted for his services to artificial intelligence.

Demis Hassabis’ Awards:

2025 –
Winner of UKtech50 (the 50 most influential people in UK technology) from Computer Weekly, Gold House A100 Honoree, Time 100: The 100 Most Influential People, STAT Status List & Ukie Hall of Fame

2024 –
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Clarivate Citation Laureate, Keio Medical Science Prize, The AI Citizen of the Year, Included in the Time 100 AI list, Science Museum Group Fellowship Award, Honorary degree from the University of Oxford & Knight Bachelor for services to artificial intelligence

2023 –
BCS Lovelace Medal, UCL Prize Lecture in Life and Medical Sciences, Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research, Honorary degree from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Included in the Time 100 AI list, Member of the Academia Europaea, Canada Gairdner International Award, Ordinary Member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences & Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for developing AlphaFold

2022 –
VinFuture Prize for Innovators with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Fields, Global Swiss AI Award, BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine, Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research (with Yoshua Bengio, Geoffrey Hinton, and Yann LeCun), Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences & Advisor to the Advanced Research and Invention Agency

2021 –
Royal Designer for Industry, IRI Medal from the Industrial Research Institute (IRI) & International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

2020 –
Pius XI Medal from the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Listed among the 50 most influential people in Britain by British GQ & Dan David Prize – Future Award

2019 –
Winner of UKtech50 (the 50 most influential people in UK technology) from Computer Weekly

2018 –
Elected Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), Adviser to the UK Government Office for Artificial Intelligence & Honorary Doctorate from Imperial College London

2017 –
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to Science and Technology, Time 100: The 100 Most Influential People, The Asian Awards: Outstanding Achievement in Science and Technology, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) & American Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award

2016 –
Honorary Fellow, University College London, Francis Crick Institute Scientific Advisory Board, London Evening Standard Influential Londoners (ranked 6th), Royal Academy of Engineering Silver Medal, Wired Leadership in Innovation, Nature’s 10: Most Influential Scientists of the Year, Financial Times Digital Entrepreneur of the Year & Wired Global 100

2015 –
Financial Times Top 50 Entrepreneurs in Europe & Fellow Benefactor, Queens’ College, Cambridge

2014 –
Third Most Influential Londoner (London Evening Standard) & Mullard Award of the Royal Society

2013 –
Listed on Wired’s Smart 50

2009 –
Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA)

Demis Hassabis as a Keynote Speaker:

Demis Hassabis is one of the most influential voices shaping the future of artificial intelligence, meaning he is highly sought after as a keynote speaker for global conferences. As the co-founder and CEO of DeepMind, he explores the intersection of AI, creativity, and human understanding in his keynote speeches. Known for combining scientific precision with visionary thinking, he has delivered some of the most anticipated keynotes on the global stage.

A previous speaker at London Tech Week and keynote speaker for MWC Barcelona 2024, Demis has captivated audiences with insights into how AI can advance healthcare, science, and discovery. At Google I/O, he explored storytelling in the age of AI, showing how machines are beginning to enhance human imagination. His TED Talk, How AI is Unlocking the Secrets of Nature and the Universe, reached millions, inspiring a deeper appreciation of AI’s role in decoding the natural world.

In 2025, Demis joined the All-In Summit to discuss AI, creativity, and a new golden age of science, as well as SXSW London 2025, where he shared his vision for ethical and intelligent progress. He also participated in the AI for Science Forum alongside Sir Paul Nurse, Jennifer Doudna, and John Jumper, highlighting breakthroughs in protein folding and discovery. A Nobel Prize Lecture speaker in 2024, Demis continues to bridge the worlds of science and philosophy. His conversation with Wired on the future of work and his appearance on the Lex Fridman podcast reflect his curiosity about consciousness, physics, and the future of knowledge — a subject he recently explored in a live Q&A at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Below is a collection of topics that Demis has covered in his official engagements as a keynote speaker:

• The Future of AI
• Creativity
• The Future of Work in the Age of AI
• Superintelligence
• The Path to AGI
• Deceptive AIs
• The Frontiers of AI
• Accelerating Scientific Discovery with AI

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